Medical Myths

If you have a medical problem, or something is bothering you or a member of your family, The Jackson County Times now has a local physician, Dr. John Spence, of the Panhandle Family Care Associates available to respond to your questions via e-mail.

Dear Dr. Spence,



Q: Is there any validity to the recommendations to drink eight glasses of water per day to maintain health and hydration status?



A: Another valid question. Much of what we do as practitioners revolves around tradition. Physicians before us did things a certain way, and they in turn passed those methods to the younger generations. “It’s always been done that way” has been the adage used for nearly a century. But with a push towards evidence based medicine, many of the old traditions have been scrutinized ,and ultimately, debunked. The above question is no exception. We have always been led to believe that healthy adults should drink eight glasses of water per day. In 2002, a physician at Dartmouth attempted to track down the source of this recommendation. Not only could he not find a source, he could not find any evidence in the literature supporting it. In 2008, the University of Pennsylvania went so far as to say that, though well-intentioned, drinking eight glasses of water per day provided no increased health benefits. There was no weight loss, no elimination of toxins, no improvement in skin tone nor cure for constipation.



Q: How does one tell if they are dehydrated?



A: Typically, thirst dictates hydration status. Some have speculated that by the time you are thirsty, you are well past the point of dehydration. In actuality, thirst kicks in when you are still within the normal limits of hydration. Signs of dehydration may include, dry mouth, morning headaches or dark colored urine. Many people think darker urine is a sign of infection, but in most instances it is a consequence of hydration status only. Drinking too much water can actually be harmful in that it may cause dangerously low levels of sodium in the blood. Low sodium can cause anything from cramps and fatigue, to seizures and coma.



Q: Is it true that caffeine and alcohol are horribly dehydrating?



A: Research suggests that these have very little dehydrating effect though both act as diuretics. It is felt that the water in both beverages (coffee or alcohol) makes up for any potential losses. The most common issue resulting in dehydration is diarrhea as it may lead to rapid dehydration. This is one of the most common causes of mortality worldwide; death secondary from dehydration as a result of a severe gastrointestinal illness. Of course, exercise is a major contributor to dehydration. The American College of Sports Medication recommends consuming ½ to one cup of water for every twenty minutes of exercise. If you have lost weight from vigorous exercise, then one should drink two to three cups for every pound of weight lost.



All in all, increasing daily water consumption by a cup or two per day is not a bad idea, but overdoing it can be detrimental. As all things, there appears to be a delicate balance between too much and not enough.



Do you have any medical questions or concerns that you would like addressed? You can contact Dr. Spence by email at panhandledailydose@hotmail.com or by mailing your question to Daily Dose, P.O. Box 6107, Marianna, FL 32446.